Reversing and valve-operating means for internal-combustion engines.



J. A. SUfiTT. REVERSING AND VALVE OPERATING HEM-IS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

G SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented May 2, 1911.

'J. ApscoT'jL REVERSING AND VALVE OPERATING MEANSIOR INTERNAL comnu's'nom mmmns.

- APPLICATION IILBI) JAN. 30. 1905. 9'1 Patented May 2, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a. A. SGQTT. EEEVEESING MTD'VALVE OPERATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 30. 1905. @Qifiifiia Patented May 2, 1911.

8 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

aw/ue wtoc J. A. SCOTT. REVERSING AND VALVE OPERATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30. 1905.

Patented May 2, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

awumm'ro i W (i Zia/ J. A. SCOTT. asvmsma AND VALVE OPERATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1905. Q9 1;)8 Patented May 2, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

J. A. SCOTT. REVERSING AND VALVE OPERATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

@Ql fififi Patented May 2, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

uninn srnns @FFIG JOSEPH ALVAI-I score, or NEW YORK, n. Y., ASSIGNOB 'ro soo'rr ENGINE -A1\TD consrnuorron COMPANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'I't-EVERSING AND VALVE-QIERATING MEANS FOR. INTERNAL-COMBUSTION -E1\TGINES.

Patented May a, rail.

' Original application filed October 8, 1904, Serial No. 227,680. Divided and this application filed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,335.

To all whom it may boncer li:

Be it known that I, Josnrr-r Armin Scorn, a cltizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York,

. the means for actuating the valves of the en- 'gine and for reversing, all as will be particularly hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustratean embodiment of the invention Figure l is a side elevation of an engine provided with the improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the engine as seen from the side opposite to that seen. in Fig.

-1. Figs. 3, f and Bare views illustrating the reversing and the valve-operating cams; Fig. 3 is aside elevation Fig. 4-, a plan, and Fig. 5 includes a side elevation and a. crossse'ction of the cant for operating the airinlet valve. Fig. 6 includes aside view and end views of the shafts of the canroperatin'g levers. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the engine showing the igniters and valves. Fig. '8 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical igniting devices, where a metallic circuitis employed, and Fig. 9 is a similar diagrammatic view of the same devices as the parts are arranged when a. common ground return circuit is employed.- This last figure shows the controller enlarged and in detail. Fig.

'10 is a cross-section showing the arm and contacts of the controller,

Itmaybe. explained primarily, and with reference to Figs. 1 and 2,tha t F designates a strong frame, which supports the engine E. The piston-rod it of the engine is coupled to a crosshea-d H, which plays in a guide G, and this crosshea-d is coupled by a connecting-rod R to a crank C, in the main- .shaft S. .The above f63.t11I'6S,1I1 some form, are common 1n engines.- The particular engine here illustrated, and which forms the subject-matter of my pending application of'which this is a division, is adapted for compressing, in the lower end of the cyl-' lnder, or that end .nearest the crank, air to form the explosive charge, and this air passes thence to and through a carburetor, and thence to the combustion chamber of the engine. The valve which controls the inlet for air to the compressing end of the cylinder; the valve which controls the admission of the combustible charge to the main combustion chamber, and the exhaust valve, are opened positively by cams, and these cams and their operative mechanism will now be described.

1 is an upright shaft, driven from the main shaft S through spiral gears 2, seen in Fig. 1. Mounted rotatively in suitable bearings on the frame, and one abovethe other, are two cam-shafts, 3 and 4c. The

upper shaft 3 is driven from the shaft by ordinary spiral gear in housings (5 in :Fig. l). The spiral gear on the shaft 3 is, seen, at 6 in Fig. 4. The shaft 3 drives the shaft 4t through ordinary spur gears, also housed.

Obviously the shafts 3 and -1: may be-driven from the main shaft S through the medium of any known form of gearing. The cam shafts will be driven at the same speed as the main shaft in this instance.

-Referring to Figs. 3, i and 5, which Show the cams best,on the upper shaft 3 are, the cam 7, which opens the exhaust-valve, and the cam 8, which opens the valve that controls the admission of the explosive charge to the combustion chamber. On the lower shaft at is secured the cam 9 which opens the air-inlet valve. It need only be said here of these cams that they act through rods and levers in a known way to operate the respective valves at proper times and hold them open the desired len h of time.

Each cam, 7, 8 and 9, is made double, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4L and 5, for the purpose of reversing, and this is effected by that the shafts may play through them. On the end of each shaft is a loosely collared ring 10, coupled by links 11, to the shorter arm of a reversing elbow-lever 12, for the upper shaft, and a similar lever 13, for the lower shaft.

The cams being double, by shifting them endwise either end-portion may be brought into position to act on the valve through'the intermediate mechanism. I Or it moved so that the middle portion of the cam is at the working point, the-valves will then be operated so as to relieve all pressure in the combustion chamber, thereby causing the engine to stop and leaving it free .to move in either direction at w1ll; the air-inlet valve will be left in its minimum power position, enabling the engine to start in either direction with the minimum compression against it. For example, respecting the cams 7 and 8, as seen in Fig. 4;; the parts 42 operate the valves for oing ahead, and'the parts 41 operate the va ves when the engine .is reversed. The part m, at the middle, is so cut away thatwhen it is brought to t-he'opcrating point, the cam will operate only to relieve the cylinders of pressure, releasing any remaining charge that may be in them but preventing the admission of any new charge. The cam 9, on the-shaft4, is mounted thus on a separate shaft in order that it may have or perform another function'in addition to that of operating the air-inlet valve for running ahead or backward. It is desirable to construct this cam so that it will permit the air-inlet valve to close at difierent points in the stroke of the piston, in whichever direction the engine may: be

running. Hence this cam has (in additio to the two operativeportions o and '0 an the inoperative or inert middle portion at) the operative portion made upof a plurality of sections u, so set as to become inactive successively at different points in the revolution of the cam-shaft, thus acting to always open'the air-inlet'valve at the same point in the stroke, but to hold it open for different periods of time, thereby enabling the engineer to control the amount of air held in thecylinder for compression. The cam may have, and preferably will have (at w in.

Fig. 5) an enlargement of the section of the cam which isoperative when the engine is going ahead at full speed; this enlargement opens the air-inlet valve to a greater extent than the other sections,

The reversing levers play in guides 14, which may be of the usual form and may have the usual locking devices for holding the levers in the positions set. The upper lever 12 will be set'in one of three positions, but the lower lever 13, may be so set as to put either one of the sections a of the cam proper position to actuate the .9 into the The reversing lever 12 is coupled loosely to the lever 13 in such a manner that when the engine is reversed through the lever 12, the cam 9 will also be shifted, but play will be allowed for shifting the earn 9, through tion of the speed. This coupling device for operatively connecting the levers 12 and 13 may be of any kind,- butthe means shown in Fig. 6 will sufiice and this will'now be described.

The lever 12 is secured toa journal 15, and the lever, 13 to a journal 16, the two journals being alined .and havin' bearings in the guide-frame 14:. Wl1eret e ends of its lever-l3, independently for the regulathe two journals abut, or come nearly to- I gether end-.to-end, there is a pin 17 in the journal 15 which engages a recess or way 18 in the upper end of the journal 16. This pin couples the twov journals together but permits of some independent movement of the lever 13. By this construction the speedregulating cam 9 will always be placed with its part a: at the operativeposition when the. engine is reversed in either direction, no

matter what may be the speed of the engine when the reversing lever 12 is shifted, leaving the after regulation of the cam 9 to be effected by the-lever 13. This interlocking of-the levers prevents any'error in adjustingthe speed-controlling cams by permitting the speed-regulating lever'13 to shift the cam 9 in the'proper direction only, in

whichever direction the engine may be runmu a In Fig. 7 which shows some of the details of the engine, 19 designates the air-inlet valve c'ontrolledby the cam 9; 20 designates the exhaust valve, controlled by the cam 7 and 21 designates the valve which admits the charge to the-main combustion chamber, and which is controlled bythe cam 8. 22

is the supplementary combustion chamber cranks in the same main shaft, but by omission of duplicate parts they may be as well used for one pa1r,or a single engine. This diagram shows the electrical features, for convenience, arranged as'they will be where a full metallic circuit is employed. In Fig. 8. G designates a generator; A, an accumulator or storage. battery; M, a magnet for automaticallycutting out the accumulator, disposed in the generator circuit: M a magnet for automatically cutting out the supplementary igniters 23 after the generator shall have been set in motion by the starting of the engine; 25 are the main igniters; C is the rotating controller which completes the circuit. successively through the igniters of the four engines; and S is the switch device as a whole. The circuits will be traced: When the generator G is running (and this will only be when the engine or engines are running) the current flows from the brush F), by wires 0 and V, to and through magnet M, and thence back to the other brush 6. The magnet M being excited attracts its armature (1, thus putting the metal armature lever a into-contact with a terminal A branch of the current flows by wire a" to and through magnet M .thence to the main wire and thence back by the wire a to the brush 6 of the generator. attracts its armature c and through a rod 1', coupled to its armature lever a, shifts switch-arms s over from contact terminals 6 belonging to the supplementary igniters 23, to the terminals 6 of the-main igniters 25. Another branch of the current flows from the brush 6 of the generator to the terminal 2., thence to the armature lever a and thence by wires 0 to the several switclrarms s; thence by wires 0?, to the several main igniters 25, thence, by wires 0, to the respective segments of the controller C and thence by wires c ,.W and 0 back to the brush Z2 v Then the engine or engines stop running, the generator G also stops. The magnets M and M cease to be excited and the springs s of the respective armature levers retract the latter. Thus the sparking circuit is broken at t, and closed to the accumulator A through a terminal t At the same time the switch arms 8 are shifted to the contact terminals e-, which are respectively connected to the segments of the controller C by wires 0, to the igniters 23,-and by Wires c from the latter to the controller. The current may flow from one pole of the accumulator by wire 0 lever e and wires 0 to the I switch-arms s, and thence to the igniters 23 and the controller, as explained. From the controller, it flows by wires and W back to the other pole of the accumulator.- Consequently, when the engine is to be started up, the supplementary igniters or sparkers will be supplied from the accumulator until the engines are in motion and the generator provides a current; then the accumulator and supplementary igniters will be automatically switched out. I

It may be explained here for a better understanding of the requirement for. supplementary igniters, that in the engine herein illustrated there is a supplementary combust'ion chambe22 through which the explosive charge must flow to the main combustion chamber 24:; and this supplementary chamber will always contain a charge of explosive gases sutlicientto set the engine in motion. Therefore, in starting the engine The magnet M being thus. excited,

the supplementary igniter or sparker will be in circuit and this charge in the supplementary chamber will be ignited. As soon however as the engine is set in motion, the

supplementary igniter is-switched out and the main igniter switched in.

The switch-shifting magnet M is, of course, only a means of operating the switch, and this may be done by hand through a knob Z: on. the rod r. The other magnet might also be dispensed with and the accumulator be switched in and out by hand.

The controller G which is shown some what diagrammatically in Fig. 8, is inclosed in a casing 26, its contact arm j, being carried by the upright shaft 1. In reversing, the contacts are shifted by a switch in the :asing This switch is actuated by means seen in Fig. 3. The journal 15, of the reversing lever carries as a prolongation a shaft 27 (see also Fig. 6) which has on its upper end a crank-arm 28, coupled by a link 29, to a .:rank-arm 30. This crank-arm 30 is fine d on. a short shaftwhich extends up into the casing 2-6 and carries the switcharm of the controller. Obviously, when the reversing lever-12 is operated, this switch arm will also be operated. As such a controller and switch for reversing is an electrical construct-ion within the knowledge of any electricalengineer, it will only be necessary to say, with especial reference to Fig. 8, that the controller (l v has two sets of contacts 2', one set being putin the igniting circuit by the wires 0 and 0 when going ahead, and the other when the engine is reversed. This is effected bythe switch controlled bythe reversing lever. The contact arms 9' of the controller plays over both sets of contacts. If there is but one engine there will be but two of these contacts in the controller, one for operating when going ahead of contacts, one for use when the engines are going ahead, and the other for use when 7 they arereversed or backing, so as to properly time the ignitions. As before stated, this controller and its switch (8 in Fig. 9) are inclosed in a casing 26, and the switch is operated, for reversing, through themeans shown in Fig. 3, namely, the shaft 27, cranks E28 and 30, and connecting link '29. The controller shown in Figs. 9 and 10 (which are. drawn to illustrate the principle of construction and operation, where the contactings are concentric with the shaft of the arm 9', and with each other) there is an inner full ring 32, an outer full ring 38, and

two intermediate segment rings 34 and 35.

The arm j is made from insulating material Fig. 10) and carries two U-shaped, metallic bridge-contacts d and al the former con necting (electrically) the inner ring 32 with the inner segment ring, and the latter connecting (electrically) the outer ring 33 with the outer segment rin The four switch arms 8 are, for convenience of description,

numbered 1, 2, 3.and 4, and the igniters also. Each switch-lever is connected electrically by branched wires 0 with segments of the two segment circles 34: and 35 of the controller, these branches being designated a for forward and olifor backward. It will be noted from the arrow in Fig. 9 which way the arm j moves when the engine is run-' ning forward or normal, and of course thearm will move in the opposite direction when the engine is running backward sion of the explosive charge, for the exhaust, and for the admission and regulation of the air supply for primary compression. changeable cams which control said valves, a rotating shaft on which are mounted the cams controlling the admission of the explosive charge and for controlling the-exhaust, a rotating shaft on which is mounted the air-admlssion cam, means for shifting together the three above named cams for reversing, and independent means for shifting the cam which controls the air-admission valve, for the purpose specified.

2. An internal combustion engine, having controlling valves for the admission of the compressed explosive charge, the outlet of the exhaust, and the admission and regula tion of the air supply for primary compression, changeable cams which control said valves, shiftable Camshafts on which said cams are mounted, means for driving said shafts simultaneously, means for shifting said shafts in order to change the cams for reversing, and independent means for shifting the cam which controls sa1d air-admission valve.

3. Aninternal combustion engine having 'valves controlling the combustible charge,

tion of air admitted for compression, chan able cam mechanism for controlling the exhaust, .and the admission and regulaj.

valves for reversing and controlling the power of the engine, and commonmeans for moving certain of said-cams to the limits of their movement and substantially simultaneously moving others to inoperative midposition only when the engine is reversed.

l. An internal combustion engine, having valves controlling the admissionof the com- 'electricsparking means, and for rendering the cams inoperative, and separate manually operative means for controlling the power of the engine by shifting the cam which controls the air-admission valve.

5. An internal combustion engine having valves adapted to'control the admission of a compressed explosive charge, an exhaust, a port, for the admission of air to a compressioncylinder, means for closing the said valves, cams for controlling the valves, a shaft on which the said cams are mounted, a main shaft, connections lleetween the main shaft and the cam shaft by which the two shafts are driven at the same speed, an electrical sparker, means for controlling the sparker, means for simultaneously changing the position of the cams and the electric controller, and independent means for moving one of the cams to control the admission valve.

6. An internal combustion engine having a port for the admission of a compressed explosive charge, an exhaust, and a port for the admission of air for the primary charge,

valves controlling the said ports and exhaust, cams to control said valves, a shaft on which the cams are mounted, means for rotating said shaft, means for simultaneously reciprocating the shafts to change the position of the cams, and independent means for reciprocating the cam which controls the" air admission valve. I

7. In an internal combustion engine, valve operating mechanism adapted to secure the operation of the engine in either direction; means for shifting said valve operating mechanism to determine the direction in which the engine shall run; igniting mechanism; controlling means for determining the time at which said ignitingfmechanism shall act when the engine is to run in. one direc- .'t1on;-other controlllng means for determlnmg the time at which said lgnitm'g mecha- .mechamsm to determine the direction in nism shall act when the engine is to run in" which the engine shall run; electrical ignitingmechanism including a circuit closer for closer having two sets of contacts, one set operating mechanism adapted to SGCLII'B ChG',

determining the time at which said igniting 15 mechanism shall act when the engine is-to run in one direction and a second circuit closer for determining the time a.t which said lgnltmgmechanism shall act 'when the engine is to run in the other direction; and means dependent for its operation upon movement imparted to said valve operating mechanism-when itis shifted as above for placing one. or the other of said circuit closers in operation.

9." In an lnternal combustion engine, valve operating mechanism adapted to secure the operation of the engine in either direction; means forqshifting said valve operating mechanism to determine the direction in which the engine shall run; electrical igniting mechanism including a circuit closer fordetermining the time'at which said igniting mechanism shall act when the engine is to run in one direction and a second circuit closer for determining the time at which said igniting mechanism shall act when the engine is to run. in the other direction; a switch for directing the flow of current through one or the other of said circuit closers; anda connection between said valve operating mechanism and said switch whereby said switch will be operated as said valve operating mechanism is shifted.

10; In an internal combustion engine,

valve operating mechanism adapted to secure the operationof the engine in either direction; means for shifting said valve operating mechanism to determine the direction in which the engine shall run; electrical igniting mechanism including ,a circuit for use when the engine is to run in one direction and the other set for use when'the engine is to run in theother direction; a

switch for directing the flowof current through one or the other of said sets of contacts; and a connection between said valve operating mechanism and said switch whereby said-switch will beoperated as said valve operating mechanism is shifted. 1'1. In an internal combustion engine, valve bp'eration of the engine in either direction;

electrical igniting m'echanism including a" spark, plug and two separate c 1rcu1t closing 7 devices, one for use when the engine is running forward and the other when it is runn ng backward; and means operated by said valve operating mechanism as it is shifted for placing one of said circuit closers in effective operation and interrupting the effective operation of the other.

12. In an internal combustion engine, a supply valve; an exhaust-valve; a pump; an inlet valve for said' Pun i E; a cam for operating each of said valves; means for simultaneously shifting said cams to secure a reversal of the direction of rotation of the engine; and means for moving the cam which controls the supply valve of the pump independently of said other cams.

13. In an internal combustion'engine, the combination with a'plurality of reversible valve operating mechanisms, of means for shifting one ot-said mechanisms from one of its operative positions to the reverse operative position and simultaneously moving another mechanism from an operative to an inoperative vposition.

14. In aninternal combustion engine, the combinationwvith a plurality 0t reversible valve operating mechanlsms, of means for shifting one of said mechanisms from one of its operative positions to the reverse operative 'position and simultaneously moving another mechanism from anioperative to an inoperative position, and means for shifting the latter mechanism from said inoperative posit-ion to' the reverse operative posit-ion independently of the first mentioned mechanism.

15. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of reversible valve ooerating mechanisms, of one means for shi "ting one of said mechanisms from one of its operative positions, to the reverse operative position and simultaneously moving another mechanism :t'rom an operative to an inoperative position, and an 1ndependent means for shifting the latter mechanism from such inoperative position to the reverse operative position,

16. The combination with a reversible explosion engine, of mechanism for controlling its direction of movement, ignition mechanism, one means for controlling the operation of the ignition mechanism when the engine is run in one direction, another means for controlling the operation of the ignition mechanism when the engine 15 run in an opposite direction, and common means for operating the controlling mechan1sm of the engine and controlling means of the gmtwn mechanism to reverse said engine.

. 17. The combination with a reversible eX plosion engine, of reversible valve operating mechanism for-controlling ltS dII'GCtIOIl of movement, ignition mechanism, one means for controlling the operation of the ignition mechanism wh n the engine is run in one d1- reetion, another controlling means for the In witness whereof I-have hereunto signed ignition mechanism when the engine is run. my name this 11th day of January 1905, in in an opposite direction, and common means I the presence of two subscribing witnesses. for reversing the valve operating mecha- JOSEPH ALVAH SCOTT. nisms and respectively throwing into and \Vitnesses:

out of operation the differentignition con- W. J. LIPPMAN trolling means to reverse the engine. BENJAMIN H. HOLT. 

